Threading of wires or the like through apertures



MarCh 1967 A. H. CROUCHER THREADING OF WIRES OR THE LIKE THROUGHAPERTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1965 March 1957 A. H. CROUCHER3,3,?55

THREADING OF WIRES OR THE LIKE THROUGH APERTURES Filed April 8, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Oflice' 3,39,755 Patented Mar. 21,1967 3,309,755 THREADWG OF WIRES OR THE LIKE THROUGH AIERTURES AntonyHarry Crouclzer, Homewond, West End Lane, Esher, Surrey, Engiand FiledApr. 8, 1965. Ser. No. 446,634 Claims priority, applieation GreatBritain, May 13, 1964, 20,005/64 1 Ciaim. (Cl. 29-2519) This inventionrelates to the threading of wires and the like through apertures and hasmore special appiication to the threading of the wire or wires ofelectric loops through the associated cap.

The invention consists in an arrangement for threading wires or the likethrough an aperture in a member comprising an element for picking up thewire or the like, guide means for bringing the free end of the pick-upelement into register with the aperture, means for advancing the pick-upelement through the aperture in line with the general direction of thewire or the like to be picked up, means for rotating the pick-up elementand Wire with respect to each other to pick up the wire or the like andmeans for bringing the member and the wire together to pass the wirethrough the aperture.

The invention will be further described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of the essential parts of apparatus forthreading the wire of an electric lamp bulb through a central aperturein a cap for the bulb shown in the starting position.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view in stage one of the threading operation.

FIGURE 3 is a similar view of stage two of the threading operation.

FIGURE 4 is a similar view showing the threading operation completed.

In the drawings a lamp bulb 1 is shown fitted with an axial prong 2through which projects a wire 3 extending from the filament within thebulb (a further wire would be brought out separately).

The bulb 1 is shown mounted by means not shown with the wire 3 below andlocated over a cap 4 which is to be fitted over the neck of the bulb andhaving the usual side prongs 4:1 for engaging a bayonet fitting.

The cap has a central hole or aperture 4b and is held in an aperture 5ain a holding plate 5.

Below the plate 5 is disposed a choker plate 6 having a small centralaperture 6a to take the tip of a pick up spiral 7 of spring steel wirevertically disposed and rotated by a base mounting 8.

The choker plate 6 may be raised into contact with plate 5 over theaperture receiving the cap 4 by means of a support member 9 which has acentral aperture large enough to take the full diameter of the spiral 7.The choker plate is free to move laterally to accommodate the spiralformation of the wire 7.

The under surface of plate 5 is bevelled around the aperture 5a to aidlocation of the choker plate 6 and the member 8 may be reciprocatedvertically in a cylindrical aperture 5b in the plate 5.

In operation it is required to pick up the wire 3 and guide it throughthe aperture 41) so that the cap may be positioned on the neck of bulb 1and the wire soldered in position in the cap 4.

The wire 3 may be bent and misaligned to some extent and provision mustbe made for this.

The free end of spiral 7 is retained by means of the aperture in thechoker plate 6 in an accurately defined position shown in FIGURE 1 sothat when the cap 4 is dropped into aperture 5a the free end of spiral 7engages in the aperture 4b. Once this engagement has been effected thesupport member 9 may be lowered dropping the choker plate 6 to theposition shown'in FIGURE 2 where it may oscillate from side to side asthe spiral 7 rotates.

The support 8 for the spiral 7 may then be advanced vertically to passthe rotating spiral 7 up through aperture 41) until it engages the wire3 as shown in FIGURE 3.

Once wire 3 is engaged the spiral will automatically grip it andstraighten it into correct alignment.

The cap 4 may then be raised vertically (or the bulb 1 would be lowered)to the position shown in FIGURE 4 where it engages the neck of bulb 1and the wire 3 is threaded through the aperture 4b.

Support 8 may then be dropped and support 9 raised again to thepositions shown in FIGURE 1 (plate 5 has been omitted from FIGURES 2, 3and 4 for clarity).

It will be understood that various modifications may be made inaccordance with the invention. Thus, it may be arranged to lower thebulb towards the cap before the cap is threaded upwards. In elfect thebulb is lowered so that the ends of the electrodes are down inside thecap a short distance above the bottom of the cap. The object of this isto reduce the length of spiral which can wave about unsupported throughthe cap before threading.

If two wires have to be threaded simultaneously into the cap 4 then twochoker plates 6 may be provided mounted for example on a common support9 with apertures for the passage of two spirals 7 which might be rotatedin opposite directions. Similar provisions may be made for threadingthree or more wires simultaneously.

Also various other threading operations of wires and the like might beeffected in a similar manner using rotatable pick-up spirals.

I claim:

An arrangement for threading wire or the like through an aperture in amember comprising a spiral element for picking up the wire or the like,a member reciprocable along the length of the spiral, having an aperturewide enough to take the wire diameter and free to move laterally inaccordance with the spiral formation of the pickup element for bringingthe free end of the pick-up element into register with the aperture,means for advancing the pick-up element through the aperture in linewith the general direction of the wire or the like to be picked up,means for rotating the pick-up element and wire with respect to eachother to pick up the wire or the like and means for bringing the memberand the wire together to pass the wire through the aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612,537 12/1926Schroeder 29,25.19 1,817,746 8/1931 Gooskens et a1. 29--25.19 2,915,80712/1959 Pa-ulson 2925.19 3,046,635 7/1962 Terez 29-25.19 3,104,4499/1963 Fleischer 28-45 X 3,137,061 6/1964 Lalak 29-241 X OTHERREFERENCES 1,173,000, June 1964, German printed application.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

J. N. ERLICH, Assistant Examiner.

